What can nanny teach 19 month old?

[mamainflorida]

Hi,
We decided to take our 19 month old out of daycare after a month because she was crying all the time and suddenly surgically attached to me at home. This wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that it would happen even when the nanny was here on the one day a week she watches her AND I was working from home.

Anyway, we're now back to the nanny 2 to 3 days a week and I'd like her to start doing more with my DD. What ideas can I give the nanny to "teach" things to DD as opposed to just acting silly with her and putting her down for a nap?

Thanks!

[Kaylee31]

DS is the same age, and reading a ton of books has been helpful. He either points things out on the pages, or I do and ask what they are. He also loves to "help" out in the kitchen. So if I'm making a snack or a salad, I let him pull up his footstool and participate. I think flashcards can be useful learning tools also. I have animal ones, to help DS learn more difficult names, like alligator or orangutan. His DC provider uses flashcards for letters, numbers, and colors. We also have the Leapfrog fridge phonics alphabet. He knows A,B,C and has been "counting" recently-- he says "two, three, five". It's so cute! So he is learning the concepts.

[mommy111]

Honestly, I think acting silly, playing with toys and taking him out for walks/park (weather permitting) are the best learning experiences for him. He will learn to trust babysitter as well as explore his environment. At this age, he is a sponge, everything is a learning opportunity for him.

[KrisM]

Honestly, I think acting silly, playing with toys and taking him out for walks/park (weather permitting) are the best learning experiences for him. He will learn to trust babysitter as well as explore his environment. At this age, he is a sponge, everything is a learning opportunity for him.

:yeahthat: and just talking to him. Telling him all about what's going on.

[BeachBum]

I agree about narrating your day...using descriptive words for things, not just simple words. My 1x a week nanny started working on colors around that age. Not drills...just playing, but working on sorting them, and then onto naming them.
She and I both do a good bit of singing and counting. We do art "project time" everyday too. Sometimes it's just scribbling, but they also like to pick up things on walks and then glue it to paper when we get home. Mine also love stickers and stamps.
We too use a lot of books. We do ones with a 'story', but play "I spy" with the pictures of objects kind.

[daisymommy]

I agree that at this age, the best thing is for her to read simple little books to him, talk to him alot about everything around them and what the nanny is doing, take him on walks and talk about what they see, and just help him explore the world. That's enough at that age.

But if you want to provide her with some extra ideas, Gymboree has some books out, that are broken down by age:
http://www.amazon.com/Gymboree-Play-Learn-Activities-Child/dp/1554700337/ref=pd_sim_b_3

http://www.amazon.com/Toddler-Play-Gymboree-Wendy-Masi/dp/0865734356/ref=pd_sim_b_4

[ohsara430]

DD is only 13 months but we read books, I find objects around the house to let her play with and feel while I describe what it is and what the texture is she's feeling. We work on body parts, we've only done ears, tummy, and feet. If the nanny is up for it simple songs would be good too. I also like to show her how to do expressive gestures like high-five, SO big, waving with each hand, blowing kisses, etc.

[ray7694]

Play, Play, Play. At that age my daughter really did well with shape sorters, blocks, play scarfs, and little people.

[khalloc]

My kids both go to a small daycare center. It's play-based. But one thing I love about it is that they learn things by doing alot of "theme" learning. Like one week(month, couple of weeks) they will focus on shapes or colors. Or foods, seasons, plants...etc...They might read books all pertaining to a certain topic, like bears hibernating, or whatever...you get the idea. If they can go outside they will continue the topic out there..like looking for plants that are "red" or something like that.

[Katigre]

I would ask the nanny to do the following with my child - this will be the best 'teaching' possible for her developmental age:

1. Art (lots of it): Get her these two books: http://www.amazon.com/Young-Art-Self-Expression-Problem-Solving-Appreciation/dp/0805066977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297781099&sr=8-1 & http://www.amazon.com/First-Art-Experiences-Toddlers-Twos/dp/0876592221/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1297781099&sr=8-2

2. Library time. Have her take your DD to the library storytime and to play in the kids' section

3. Nature walks. Seeing the outdoors, exploring nature, this is very important.

4. Reading aloud - lots and LOTS of reading aloud. You can google to find 'top picture book lists' and have the nanny read to her for at least 15 minutes a day (if not longer)

5. Helping around the house - the more she can learn to do around the house, the more empowered and independent she will be as she grows. This includes how to clean, self-care, helping unload the dishwasher (my DS and DD's first chore was to put silverware in the drawer), etc...

6. Large muscle play - here are a bunch of sensory activities that many toddlers enjoy: http://mommypoppins.com/ny-kids/99-sensory-activities-for-any-child/

The nanny should also make sure to talk with your daughter - singing silly songs, rhyming, etc... She does NOT need to 'teach' letters/numbers/colors specifically - that will come up in natural conversation as they do life, play with puzzles, read books, etc...

[JBaxter]

reading books and interactive play. Stacking blocks, playing with cars, repeating colors and shapes listen to music , dance toddler hid & seek just to name a few

[Momof3Labs]

At that age, our nanny taught DS2 his letters as a normal part of his day. He had alphabet placemats and dishes, and they would play games and talk about the letters at meals and such. Lots of books. Gross motor skills are important, too - climbing and running outside, etc. Songs are great, including finger play. Shapes are easy for them to pick up at that age, too.

[sste]

At that age my DS was all about music and books (and cars, cars, cars but I bet that is not what you had in mind). Katigre's list is wonderful and I agree with all of that. But, our most helpful activity was music - - we did it at home and we also had the nanny take DS to a toddler music class. It def. helped him build language (alot of speech therapists strongly rec. it for this reason), it had gross motor aspects, it introduced him to the idea of directions and nudged him toward following them once in a while (!), and last but not least he had a blast.

[Cuckoomamma]

It's all about the luxury of having someone give her that one on one attention. I'd milk it for all it's worth. So, absolutely anything the nanny says and does that is interactive (which could just be actively listening to dd) is where it's at. A child who feels important and that others are interested in her will learn everything in its own time.

Don't look for proof that she's learning, just look for emotional well-being.

If your nanny gets a little stumped on what to do, she can always do things like bake, garden, feed the ducks, even grocery shop, provided that the emphasis is on the interaction and not on accomplishing the end result. It doesn't matter if the ducks actually get the bread that dd tosses, just that dd has a pleasant experience and absorbs where ducks live, what they eat, how they move their bodies, and on and on. It's all about the process, not the product (meaning the end result of whatever the activity is about). No quizzing, just talking back and forth.

[smilequeen]

I would not ask her to do a whole lot of actual teaching.

I would provide her with great toys that help your child to learn. A lot of book reading. Puzzles. Stacking toys. Arts and Crafts. Etc. All of those can help reinforce colors, letters, numbers, etc. pretty easily.

I would have her help your child with her independence. Consider putting cups in a low cabinet so she can get her own when she's thirsty. Put a hook low enough for her to hang up her own coat. Things like that.

You could sign them up for a class...gymboree, little gym, kindermusik, etc.

You could encourage them to go to story time at the library/Barnes and Noble/Borders

Take walks, enjoy the outdoors, go to the park.